


when it comes to stories i thought i knew them all

by stefonzolesky



Category: Arrested Development
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 06:38:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14038350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stefonzolesky/pseuds/stefonzolesky
Summary: (but now i'm face to face with one i can't seem to recall)(or, another teen au that nobody asked for)





	when it comes to stories i thought i knew them all

It’s all stupid Michael’s fault that Gob ends up at some after-school geek center, or whatever they’re actually attending, and he  _ really _ doesn’t want to be there. Lucille says that he has to go, to support both of his brothers, but Gob turns up his nose at the mere idea of whatever it might be.

Besides, if one of his friends were to see him there --

_ Spelling bee, _ he remembers, and sighs. He’s  _ so _ screwed if one of his friends sees him. He sits down next to Lindsay, who is busy picking at her nails, and waits for everything to start.

And he hates ( _ God _ , he hates it so much) the way he starts to stare when he sees the announcer.

“Uh, hey,” He says, a little awkward, a little too close to the microphone. “I’m Tony Wonder, I’m gonna be… hosting the spelling bee. First up is, um, Byron Bluth.”

Lucille claps next to Gob, but Gob doesn’t pay attention to anything other than this Tony guy. He has a mop of hair that looks like it can’t be tamed and nerdy glasses that are probably too big for his face. The event is over before he knows it, and the only things Gob has learned the entire time is that:

  1. He drools when he zones out, sometimes, and
  2. He wants to be best friends with Tony Wonder, or something like that.



So, naturally, he finds Tony before his parents can drag him away from the school.

“Hey!” He says in an awkward attempt to get Tony's attention. Tony doesn’t look up, so Gob tries again. “Hey! Tony Wonder!”

That’s when Tony looks. He scours the area for someone that might have said his name, and his eyes land on Gob. Gob is sure he looks all cool and everything as Tony comes closer to him, but that’s all contradicted by what Tony says.

“Stop grinning like that,” He tells Gob. “You look like a serial killer.”

Gob blinks. “Right. Sorry.”

Tony nods, studying Gob up and down. “Do I know you or something?”

“No,” Gob admits. He laughs haltingly. “Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m talking to you. My parents are probably leaving, but they don’t care about me, so I can just find my own way back home.”

Tony’s eyebrows furrow. “That doesn’t sound like a great idea,” He says. “You should probably go before they leave without you.”

Gob shrugs. “I’m used to it. That’s not the point.”

“Then what’s the point?” Tony laughs, confusion showing in his face.

“I…” Gob falters, because he really doesn’t know. “I think I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Do you go to this school?” Tony raises an eyebrow. He waits for Gob’s confirmation. “I’ll find you in the hallways. You’re…” He gestures for Gob to fill in.

“Gob Bluth,” He says, a smile finding its way to his face. “I’m a senior.”

Tony hesitates before he smiles. It’s a weak smile, but it’s there. “Tony Wonder. So am I.”

“Who was that?” Lindsay asks him as they’re loading up in the car. Gob had to run to catch up with them, and he takes a second to catch his breath.

“Tony Wonder,” Gob says, his voice still breathy. “He’s in my grade.”

“He’s cute,” Lindsay comments. Gob doesn’t respond. Something flips in his stomach. “Can you get his number for me?”

“No,” the word is out of Gob’s mouth before he can register it. “I can’t do that.”

Lindsay sighs. “Is he taken? All the hot ones are either taken or gay.”

Gob shrugs, already kind of tuning his sister out. “I don’t know,” He says. “But I’m not getting his number for you either way.”

“Why not?” Lindsay whines. Gob sighs heavily.

“Because I don’t want to,” He tells her, and leaves it at that. Lindsay pouts the whole way home. Gob gets some sort of weird satisfaction from seeing that he managed to upset her. He snickers to himself, and when they get back home, Gob takes the time to decide what he wants to wear the next day.

(He tries to steal Lindsay’s hairspray at one point, but the two of them aren’t exactly affable, so it doesn’t go over very well.)

 

True to his word, Tony finds Gob in the hallway. Gob isn’t exactly sure how he manages to do it so early in the morning -- or how he’s wide awake -- but he can’t say he doesn’t appreciate it. 

“Gob, right?” He asks, and Gob is immediately flustered by the fact that Tony remembers his name.

“Yeah,” He confirms, hoping his face isn’t turning red. “Tony?”

“Yeah,” Tony says with a swift nod of his head. Gob has to make sure it isn’t obvious that he was sure of that. “Can I walk you to class?”

“Sure,” Gob spits out, a little more violently than he would have hoped, trying not to choke on his words. Tony looks a little shocked, but doesn’t say anything about it. “I’ve got, uh, science.”

“Great.” Tony grins, a little shaky. “It’s on the way to my next class.”

They make small talk on the way, and Gob shoots a smug grin at Lindsay when they pass her on the stairs. Gob has never been great at small talk, but conversation comes easy with Tony Wonder. It’s almost scary how easy it is, actually.

“This is me,” Gob says, stopping outside of the science room. “I’ll… see you later, right?”

“Yeah,” Tony promises, his mouth twitching with a faint smile. “See you later.”

Gob’s heart flutters. He pulls his bag up on his shoulder and heads to class with a smile on his face.


End file.
